H&F's October half term is 26 to 30 October and Christmas starts 21 December, but Latymer Upper, Godolphin and St Paul's Girls' break on 19 October.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s guide dates put the October half term on Monday 26 to Friday 30 October 2026 and the start of the Christmas holiday on Monday 21 December. Most state schools in the borough follow that shape, but the council itself says the dates are guides only, and the big independent schools in Hammersmith run on a different clock: three of them start their October break a week earlier and send pupils home for Christmas on 15 or 16 December. This page sets out the council’s dates for 2026/27, then the published calendars of five of the borough’s best-known schools, including every staff training day we could find.
The quick answer
The council’s autumn term runs from Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026, with half term on 26 to 30 October. Spring term starts Monday 4 January 2027. Latymer Upper, Godolphin and Latymer and St Paul’s Girls’ School all take a two-week October break, Monday 19 to Friday 30 October, and finish for Christmas on 15 or 16 December.
The council’s guide dates for 2026/27
These are the dates published on the council’s school term and holiday dates page for nursery, community primary, secondary and special schools. The council is explicit that “all schools and academies set their own term dates so dates may vary from school to school”.
| Term | Starts | Half term | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn 2026 | Wednesday 2 September | Mon 26 to Fri 30 October | Friday 18 December | 73 |
| Spring 2027 | Monday 4 January | Mon 15 to Fri 19 February | Thursday 25 March | 54 |
| Summer 2027 | Monday 12 April | Mon 31 May to Fri 4 June | Thursday 22 July | 68 |
That comes to 195 days. Five of them are staff training (INSET) days, and the council leaves it to each governing body to choose when. So even a school that follows the council’s calendar will close on five days not shown above.
The holidays in between:
- Christmas: from Monday 21 December 2026, back on Monday 4 January 2027. The bank holidays are Friday 25 December, Monday 28 December (in lieu of Boxing Day) and Friday 1 January.
- Easter: from Friday 26 March 2027 (Good Friday), back on Monday 12 April. Easter Monday is 29 March.
- Summer: from Friday 23 July 2027.
The council also gives Wednesday 7 July 2027 as the proposed secondary transition day for Year 6 pupils starting secondary school in September 2027.
Five schools, school by school
The calendars below were each checked on 25 September 2026 against the school’s own published term dates. We chose the two big state secondaries in Fulham that publish a full calendar and the three large independent schools in Hammersmith, because independents are where the dates move furthest.
| School | Pupils start | October break | Last day before Christmas | Back in January |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council guide dates | Wed 2 Sep | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Lady Margaret School (Parsons Green) | Thu 3 Sep (Years 7, 12, 13); Fri 4 Sep (Years 8 to 11) | 26 to 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec, 12 noon | Mon 4 Jan |
| The London Oratory School (Fulham) | Thu 3 Sep | Fri 23 Oct (staff day) to Fri 30 Oct | Fri 18 Dec | Mon 4 Jan |
| Latymer Upper School (Hammersmith) | Fri 4 Sep | 19 to 30 Oct | Tue 15 Dec, 12pm | Thu 7 Jan |
| Godolphin and Latymer (Hammersmith) | Fri 4 Sep | 19 to 30 Oct | Wed 16 Dec, 12pm | Wed 6 Jan |
| St Paul's Girls' School (Brook Green) | Fri 4 Sep | 19 to 30 Oct | Wed 16 Dec | Fri 8 Jan |
Lady Margaret School
Lady Margaret School’s 2026/27 calendar matches the council’s holidays exactly and lists four staff INSET days during the year when there are no lessons:
- Tuesday 1 and Wednesday 2 September 2026
- Tuesday 6 October 2026
- Wednesday 3 February 2027
- Tuesday 9 March 2027
Each term ends at 12 noon: Friday 18 December, Thursday 25 March and Friday 16 July 2027, almost a week earlier than the council’s 22 July.
The London Oratory School
The London Oratory’s term dates keep the council’s half terms but add staff professional days next to them. Friday 23 October is a staff day, so pupils break up on Thursday 22 October and have a nine-day October holiday. Friday 22 January 2027 and Monday 28 June 2027 are also staff days, and the school lists Monday 23 November 2026 as an “on-site maintenance” day. The summer term ends on Friday 16 July 2027, with the holiday running from Monday 19 July.
Latymer Upper School
Latymer Upper’s 2026/27 dates give the longest October break of the five, Monday 19 to Friday 30 October. The school is also closed to pupils on Wednesday 2 December for its 11+ exam, and on Tuesday 5 January (INSET) and Wednesday 6 January (11+ interviews), so the spring term starts on Thursday 7 January. The Christmas term ends on Tuesday 15 December at 12pm, the earliest of any calendar here. Summer term ends on Wednesday 7 July 2027 at 12pm.
Godolphin and Latymer
Godolphin and Latymer’s calendar also runs the October break from 19 to 30 October and ends the autumn term on Wednesday 16 December at 12pm. Spring term starts on Wednesday 6 January after an INSET day on the 5th, and ends on Wednesday 24 March at 12pm. The summer term starts on Wednesday 14 April, has an INSET day on Monday 7 June, and ends on Wednesday 7 July.
St Paul’s Girls’ School
St Paul’s Girls’ School has the same 19 to 30 October break and ends the autumn term on Wednesday 16 December. It adds an occasional day off on Friday 20 November. In January there are two staff days, Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7, so girls return on Friday 8 January. The summer term runs from Tuesday 20 April to Thursday 8 July 2027.
The spring and summer terms at a glance
| School | Spring term ends | Summer term starts | Summer term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council guide dates | Thu 25 Mar | Mon 12 Apr | Thu 22 Jul |
| Lady Margaret School | Thu 25 Mar, 12 noon | Mon 12 Apr | Fri 16 Jul, 12 noon |
| The London Oratory School | Thu 25 Mar | Mon 12 Apr | Fri 16 Jul |
| Latymer Upper School | Thu 25 Mar, 12pm | Mon 19 Apr | Wed 7 Jul, 12pm |
| Godolphin and Latymer | Wed 24 Mar, 12pm | Wed 14 Apr | Wed 7 Jul, 12pm |
| St Paul's Girls' School | Thu 25 Mar | Tue 20 Apr | Thu 8 Jul |
All six calendars share the same February half term (15 to 19 February 2027) and the same summer half term (31 May to 4 June 2027).
Your child’s school is not listed
The council keeps a list of school contact details with links to each school’s own website, and that is where the INSET days will be. Academies and faith schools are the most likely to differ from the guide dates. You can also sign up to the council’s term dates email alert, which tells you when the page changes.
Looking ahead to 2027/28
The council has already published its guide dates for next year. The autumn term 2027 starts on Wednesday 1 September 2027, half term is Monday 25 to Friday 29 October 2027, and the term ends on Friday 17 December 2027. St Paul’s Girls’ School has also published 2027/28, with an October break of 18 to 29 October 2027.
Related pages
- What is on locally during the break: October half term in Hammersmith and Fulham
- Travel over Christmas and New Year: Christmas trains, Tube and buses
- Roadworks and closures near schools: Fulham roadworks and travel
Sources: Hammersmith and Fulham Council, school term and holiday dates; Lady Margaret School term dates 2026/27; The London Oratory School term dates; Latymer Upper School term dates 2026/27; Godolphin and Latymer term dates; St Paul’s Girls’ School term dates. All checked 25 September 2026.
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